The
Bahamian National Coat of Arms (right) were officially adopted on July
12, 1971. The arms show the Santa Maria, the flagship of Columbus,
who discovered the islands. The sun symbolizes the sunny
climate. On the shield is placed a shell, which symbolizes the
dependency of the islands on the sea. The supporters are a
flamingo (the national bird) and a marlin.

The
Bahamian National Motto is "Forward, Upward, Onward Together".The symbolism of the Bahamian
Flag is as follows: Black, a strong colour, represents the
vigour and force of a united people, the triangle pointing towards the
body of the flag represents the enterprise and determination of the
Bahamian people to develop and possess the rich resources of land and
sea symbolized by gold and aquamarine respectively.

The
Bahamian National Anthem was written
by Timothy Gibson in 1972 and adopted in 1973.
Click here to view
the lyrics in text form or
click here to listen to the anthem.

The
senior people in the current government after the recent (May 2nd, 2002 elections),
are.:

Bahamas Government-List of Cabinet Ministers

The Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie

Prime Minister

The Hon. Cynthia A. Pratt

Deputy Prime Minister

The Hon. Bradley B. Roberts

Minister of Works & Utilities

The Hon. Vincent Peet

Minister of Labour & Immigration

The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe

Minister of Tourism

The Hon. Fred Mitchell

Minister of Foreign Affairs & Public Service

The Hon. Alfred Sears

Attorney General & Minister of Education

The Hon. Leslie Miller

Minister of Trade & Industry

The Hon. V. Alfred Gray

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries & Local Government

The Hon. Neville Wisdom

Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture

The Hon. Melanie Griffin

Minister of Social Services & Community Development

The Hon. Gleyns Martin

Minister of Transport & Aviation

The Hon. Allyson Maynard-Gibson

Minister of Financial Services & Investment

The Hon. Shane Gibson

Minister of Housing & National Insurance

The Hon. Dr. Marcus C. Bethel

Government Leader in The Senate

The Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie

Minister of Finance

The Hon. James Smith

Minister of State

An important turning point in the history
of The Islands Of The Bahamas took place in 1967. The movement to give
equal rights, including the right to vote, was led by twelve men. These
men made up the First Bahamas Cabinet under Majority Rule. They are:

The Islands Of The Bahamas gained
independence from Great Britain on July 10, 1973, which is celebrated as
Bahamian Independence Day. As a member of the British Commonwealth, The
Islands Of The Bahamas has a symbolic link to Great Britain, with an
appointed Governor-General representing the Queen of England. However,
the current Prime Minister is the Right Honourable Hubert Alexander
Ingraham, who is an elected official, and is the actual head of the
government.

The Constitution, which has been in
effect since 1973, declares that The Islands Of The Bahamas is a
sovereign democratic state. It guarantees fundamental human rights, such
as freedom of expression and assembly, as well as protecting the privacy
of the home.
The Prime Minister and his Cabinet make up the Executive Branch of
government. The Legislative Branch includes the Senate, which is
appointed, and the House of Assembly, which is elected. The Judiciary is
comprised of Her Majesty’s Privy Council, the Court of Appeal, the
Supreme Court and the Magistrates Courts.

In 1997, local government was introduced
into The Islands Of The Bahamas with locally elected officials being
charged with certain local responsibilities.

General elections are held every five
years but the ruling party can call an election at any time.

To see a prime example of British
influence on Bahamian government, plan to see the Changing of the Guards
ceremony. There is much pomp and ceremony and the Royal Bahamas Police
Force Band also performs. The ceremony occurs at Government House (the
office and residence of the Governor-General) in Nassau every two weeks.